


the aftermath

by jfw858



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Everyone is tired, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan & Mark Lee Are Best Friends, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan-centric, Light Angst, M/M, Mark is a good friend, Self-Indulgent, best friend dynamics, hyuck is just scared and uncomfortable after those th0ts broke into the tour bus, hyungs are mentioned, i love mark lee, kind of?, like very light, soft, soft friendship hours: open
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2020-05-31 16:59:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19430245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jfw858/pseuds/jfw858
Summary: How do you comfort your best friend when he finds a letter written by a stranger left on top of his freshly made sheets? Mark doesn’t know either, but all he can really do is try his best.Basically the aftermath of those nctzens going onto their tour bus, making their beds, and leaving hyuck a letter— please understand boundaries y’all





	the aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> This has been sitting in my drafts for a WHILE if you can't tell, but I had a lot of thoughts about the whole thing with the tour bus and decided to express them in the form of a very very soft fic lol 
> 
> so enjoy i guess? ahaha i have no idea what's going on

Donghyuck stared at the envelope.

It was bright white, and if not for his name spelled in glitter on the front, it may have blended in with the sheets.

The sheets that were freshly made.

Donghyuck was absolutely certain when he got off the bus that morning, they were rumpled and messy, as they should be. There was a reason he didn’t make his bed—why bother, when you’re gonna mess the sheets up at the end of the day anyway? His favorite way to annoy Doyoung and Taeyong was to claim that not making the bed actually made the end of the day more relaxing, as he could slip in between the sheets much easier after a tiring schedule.

It gave his hyungs an aneurysm nearly every time. Especially when he sighed in relief as obnoxiously as possible while sliding into his unmade bed afterward.

He didn’t know how long he stood there, staring blankly at the envelope in front of him and trying to settle the sickness in his stomach before he felt someone come up next to him.

It was Mark, who spared Donghyuck only a glance before linking their fingers together silently. He smelled like crappy tour bus shampoo, but underneath that, Donghyuck could still smell that soft, slightly sweet Mark smell. The one that clung to the shirts Donghyuck would steal, and the one that stuck to the sheets of Mark’s bed in Seoul.

Suddenly, Donghyuck was hit with an onslaught of memories of home. Midnight snacks with the dreamies, the time he spent with his family while injured, movie nights with the hyungs, sleeping in his own bed, crawling into Mark’s on the nights he was craving affection.

He let out a sigh, and felt tears prickling at the backs of his eyes. He really, really missed Korea. Looking up at the ceiling and blinking furiously, Donghyuck willed the tears to go back into his stupid tear ducts where they belonged.

It didn’t work. When the first tear rolled down his cheek, he felt Mark move to pull him into a hug. Donghyuck tried to pull out of his grasp but the arms around him tightened until he could barely move. “I’m fine, Mark—”

“You’re not, Hyuckie. And this is me telling you that it’s okay that you’re not.” Mark pulled back so they were facing each other. “What they did wasn’t okay. I know they’re fans and you can’t be upset without feeling guilty or ungrateful, but they are the ones in the wrong here. It’s okay to be mad when someone violates your privacy, and being uncomfortable or scared doesn’t make you weak, okay?”

When Donghyuck didn’t answer, Mark lifted his chin with gentle fingers. Glassy eyes met hardened ones. When he couldn’t stand the silence anymore, Donghyuck rolled his eyes. “Ah, Mark. Always so serious. Have you been talking to Jeno a lot recently? I think you’ve caught a bad case of no-jam.”

The joke would probably have been funnier if his voice hadn’t cracked in the middle, and if his eyes weren’t still watery, but oh well. It was worth a shot, anyway.

Mark didn’t smile, but as he wiped a stray tear from Donghyuck’s cheek, the fire in his dark eyes faded until Donghyuck saw only concern. “You’re not weak, Hyuck,” he repeated. Though still firm, the words held an infinite amount of fondness.

This time, the younger boy could only nod and avert his eyes. Satisfied, Mark linked their fingers again and squeezed. “Come on. We passed a laundromat yesterday that can’t be far. We’ll go get these sheets washed together. And if you don’t want to read the letter we can throw it away far, far away from here.”

Donghyuck nodded again, giving the hand entwined with his a light squeeze in return, and when Mark let go of his hand to start pulling the sheets from the hard mattress, he leaned over to help. Before long, only the mattress and a single uncovered pillow remained. Mark quickly and unceremoniously dumped the blanket he was holding on top of Donghyuck’s arms, where the linen was rapidly piling up.

“Wait here for a second, I’m gonna go tell the hyungs where we’re going.” As an afterthought, Mark added, “And see if they have any change for the laundromat.” With a final reassuring smile, he padded off to where Taeyong, Johnny, Doyoung, and Taeil stood in the main living area, discussing something in hushed tones.

Upon Mark’s arrival, their conversation halted before continuing in even quieter tones. Donghyuck watched quietly, pretending to examine his nails each time one of them glanced over. After what felt like an eternity, they each split to rummage through their respective bags, producing a few quarters each and dropping them into Taeyong’s waiting hand.

The leader rolled the small handful into Mark’s palm, but not before leaning over to whisper something in his ear. Donghyuck fought the urge to roll his eyes. It was obvious they were talking about him; how dense did they think he was?

Donghyuck stood as Mark approached him, laundry still piled high in his arms. The coins Mark since slipped into his pocket clinked obnoxiously with his every step. The sound was out of place within the tense atmosphere of the tour bus, and Donghyuck couldn’t really tell whether he wanted to laugh or cry. As they passed the others, Johnny gave him an awkward slap on the shoulder, Taeil told them to “stay out of trouble,” and Taeyong raised his arm in a slight wave.

The second they stepped out into the bright spring sunlight and the door swung shut behind them, Donghyuck let out a long groan. “That was so awkward. I know I’m the youngest, but I’m not a baby anymore. You guys don’t have to treat me like glass.” He meant for the complaint to sound like a whine, but it came out surprisingly bitter.

Mark looked surprised. “Hyuck, they weren’t trying to baby you. They just wanted to give you space. Pretend like nothing happened. You know, since you hate attention when you’re…” he paused, searching for the right word. “When you’re, uh…”

“Vulnerable? Emotionally unstable? Going through it?” Donghyuck suggested, feeling slightly ashamed for assuming the worst about the hyungs who had known him for years. They were right of course, as much as Donghyuck disliked avoiding the elephant in the room, he hated being doted on more.

Okay, fine. He loved being doted on. But not out of pity. “I guess you’re right. But that doesn’t explain why you’re here, then. Shouldn’t you be giving me space too?”

A faint blush spread across Mark’s cheeks. “I mean, I think they thought that...we’re really close right? I guess they thought that I could...uh, comfort you better than they could, I guess.” He laughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck. “Make you feel more normal, I don’t know.”

Donghyuck had to laugh. “Well, they were right. Watching you struggle to express yourself is making me feel normal already.”

Mark shoved his shoulder, laughing too, before reaching over to pluck the sheets out Donghyuck’s arms. “I don’t know why I bother being nice if this is all I get in return.”

They walked the rest of the way in a comfortable silence, only speaking to bicker about directions to the laundromat. And a mere ten minutes after Mark said they were two minutes away, they arrived.

The laundromat was empty, only a few stragglers sitting around waiting for their laundry to dry or piling clothes into baskets. The machines were loud, and they shook so violently Donghyuck was worried they’d fall apart if he so much as exhaled too closely to one. The floor tiles, which if he had to guess had once been blue, had been covered with so many layers of dirt, dust, and various mysterious stains that they appeared dark grey. Above their heads, the ceiling lights flickered.

Normally, he would have complained, made some remark about how the sheets might come out dirtier than they had been going in, but as he watched Mark gingerly place the sheets in the machine and carefully pour in the detergent, he was reminded of why they had come to such a grimy laundromat in the first place.

Mark seemed to sense the change in mood even with his back turned and stayed silent when he finished turning the machine on. He simply sat in the hard plastic chair next to the one Donghyuck was sitting in and watched the white sheets get turned round and round. Donghyuck leaned over the chair arms dividing them and rested his head on the older’s shoulder.

They stayed like that, watching the water in the machine turn soapy and lose foam little by little until the water ran clear again. Then they watched as fresh water poured atop the moving sheets, rinsing off any remnants of detergent. Not long afterward, the machine let out a decisive beep to tell them their sheets were clean.

Donghyuck rose stiffly to move the sheets to the dryer, half expecting Mark to follow. When there was no sign of movement behind, he turned around to pout at the elder.

However, the whine he’d been prepared to vocalize was cut off before it began. His best friend was asleep, his lips slightly parted and his breathing even. Surprisingly, he looked...peaceful. The tension in his face had fallen away, leaving him looking less like a perpetually stressed idol and more like the teenager he actually was.

Starting the dryer himself, he watched the other boy carefully for any sign that the machine was disrupting his sleep. All he noticed were the dark shadows under his eyes, whose existence brought a new wave of guilt crashing over Donghyuck. Here he was, letting himself be babied by Mark when his privacy had been violated too. Mark was just as exhausted as everyone else, maybe more. He and Johnny carried the most responsibility as the only members fluent in English, and Donghyuck knew how much effort Mark put into each interview.

He was always trying so hard to give good answers, ones that actually made sense, and ones that matched the opinion of all of the members. He always tried so hard; at everything. And he somehow had the energy to do all of these things for Donghyuck when he could have been taking a well-needed break, maybe even nabbing some coveted time alone.

Donghyuck didn’t know how long he spent numbly watching the rise and fall of Mark’s chest, mind cycling through all the reasons the elder deserved the rest. At the loud beep of the drying machine, the boy started, eyes immediately checking to see if the sound had woken Mark up.

It hadn’t. Which wasn’t all that surprising, considering he slept like a rock most of the time. That made sense, Donghyuck supposed. But that also meant he was left with the task of waking Mark up, and Donghyuck really didn’t want to disturb him.

So he didn’t.

But after taking all the sheets out of the dryer, folding them, and throwing away the dryer sheet in the farthest possible trash can, Donghyuck couldn’t put off the task any longer. So he reached over slowly and, as gently as possible, shook Mark’s shoulder.

He jolted upright, something akin to panic in his eyes. “Woah, wai—Did I fall asleep?”

Donghyuck nodded and laughed a little, motioning with his head toward the door. “Yeah, you did. So we should get back before the hyungs start to worry.”

“Sorry,” Mark mumbled, sheepish for some reason.

Donghyuck rolled his eyes. “Don’t be an idiot, Mark. You need sleep more than anyone else. And besides,” he added, just because he wanted to see Mark squirm, “you look cute when you sleep.”

As expected, a blush crept up Mark’s neck and spread across his cheeks before he gave Donghyuck a not so light shove. “Let’s just go.”

The walk home passed by quickly—too quickly. With each passing step, the prickling feeling of anxiety in Donghyuck’s chest grew stronger. He shivered, despite the warmth of the spring air, and slowed his steps. Mark glanced at him, concern evident on his face, but Donghyuck waved him off. He was fine. He couldn’t not be fine.

To focus on something other than the knotting in his stomach, Donghyuck studied the passing storefronts, trying to read all the ads plastered on their windows. Most only had a simple “Help Wanted” sign or signs with the places business hours, but one door was covered with so many ads Donghyuck could barely see inside.

He stopped short subconsciously, trying to read all of them at the same time. There was an ad for some musical being performed at the theatre downtown, an ad for someone offering piano lessons, and another offering a reward for whoever had information on their lost cat.

In front of him, Mark continued walking, oblivious to the fact that Donghyuck was no longer beside him. It was only when he made it to the end of the block, looking both ways, that he noticed.

“Hyuck,” he asked, coming up next to the younger boy, “Why’d you stop in front of this,” a pause while he stepped back to read the sign, “24-hour 7-Eleven?”

“Shh, I’m trying to read these.”

“But why?” When he didn’t get an answer, Mark slipped his hand into the other’s. “Hyuck...you know we’re gonna have to go back eventually. We can’t stay here forever.”

“I know. Just...not yet.” Donghyuck finally looked Mark into the eyes, voice small even to his own ears. “Please, let’s just stay for one more minute.”

A squeeze of his hand was all he got in response. They stayed there, Mark occasionally helping translate the longer words Donghyuck couldn’t read.

He didn’t say anything else about leaving.

“Okay,” Donghyuck said at last, “Let’s go.”

And with that, they set off again.

Too soon, they were facing their own blown up selves, plastered on the side of the bus.

Something kept Donghyuck from opening the door, but upon seeing Mark glance at him, that same concerned expression taking over his features, he forced his feet to move up the steps.

Triumphantly, he looked back at the elder. “See? I’m fine, Mark. You shouldn’t worry so much, you’ll get wrinkles from frowning all the time.” He flung open the door and waltzed in, calling out an enthusiastic hello to the rest of the hyungs for good measure.

With his back turned, Donghyuck missed watching said frown curve into a relieved smile.

His newfound confidence, however, was fleeting. Unease pressed in from all sides over the course of dinner and the following movie until anxiety was again taking center stage in his mind.

Donghyuck went through the motions, however, and kept up conversation with the hyungs while his brain cycled cynically through the same unrelenting thoughts. It felt like years had passed when Taeyong at last announced that he was heading to bed, and the others should follow suit if they wanted to have enough energy for their next concert.

As Mark helped him stretch the fresh sheets over the mattress, Donghyuck felt himself deflate, his body tired of reflecting the wire-like tension within his mind. Mark chose this time to become oblivious, too wrapped up in conversation with the others around them to notice Hyuck’s growing silence.

Once the bed was newly made, Donghyuck quickly excused himself and locked himself inside the cramped bathroom. He splashed some cool water on his face before staring hard at his reflection.

“Pull it together,” he muttered into the small space. “You’re being a baby. The sheets are clean and you threw away the letter. What more is there to do? Everyone else is fine; everyone’s over it. Except for you. Pull it together.”

Donghyuck took in his red eyes and clammy skin. With a small noise of frustration, he went about his regular routine, albeit scrubbing his face and brushing his teeth a little more forcefully than was necessary.

 _Pull it together_ , he thought, repeating the words like a mantra. There’s nothing to be scared of.

With a final resolute glare in the mirror, he strode out the door, nearly slamming into Mark in his rush.

“Slow down, Hyuckie,” Mark giggled, still amused by some no-doubt lame joke Johnny had told him. Upon looking into Donghyuck’s eyes, however, his laughter cut off abruptly. “Hey, is everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything’s great.” Donghyuck winced, hearing the sharpness in the words. But he kept walking, offering nothing but a grim smile and leaving Mark to stare after him.

Behind him, Mark sighed, eyebrows wrinkling in concern. Maybe one wash wasn’t quite enough.

He emerged from the bathroom minutes later to find Donghyuck scrolling through something on his phone in the dark, legs hanging off the side of his bed. He was clearly fighting sleep, phone screen illuminating the exhaustion written all over his features. But he still wouldn’t get into his newly clean sheets.

“Hyuck,” he called softly, trying not to wake the others. The boy looked up immediately, looking both slightly hopeful and surprised to see Mark awake.

“Mark?” he whispered in reply. “I thought you had gone to bed already.”

“I’m about to.” A pause as he realized what Donghyuck needed to feel truly safe. “Do you want to sleep in my bed?”

“No, it’s fine. It’s your bed, I’m not gonna kick you off it just because I can’t sleep on my own stupid sheets.”

Mark hated hearing the bitterness in his voice. “I already told you Hyuck, you have nothing to be embarrassed about.” He sighed again in exasperation. “And you wouldn’t be kicking me off of my own bed.”

At this, Donghyuck blinked, the hopefulness in his gaze emerging fully. “What?”

Mark felt his ears heat up as he continued. “I meant...I mean...are you really gonna make me say it?”

Donghyuck cocked his head, familiar mischief twinkling in his eyes. “Say what? I don’t know what you’re trying to tell me, Mark.”

Mark sighed again, this time in resignation. “What I’m saying is...you can sleep in my bed...with me, if you want.” The last part of his sentence was barely audible.

Donghyuck stood, tossing his phone onto his bed and making his way over to where Mark was already scooting so his back was against the wall. “I thought you’d never ask,” he teased, quickly weaseling his way under the covers. Mark grumbled something unintelligible in response and adjusted the blankets so they covered both boys equally.

When it was all finished, and Donghyuck was tucked snugly in between Mark’s sheets, he curled up against the older’s chest and mumbled a final, quiet, “Thank you, hyung.”

To anyone else the simple words may have sounded ungrateful, indifferent even, in the face of everything Mark had done. But Mark knew Donghyuck better than he knew himself: he’d felt the unease rolling off the younger boy in waves from the moment they stepped onto the bus, felt the panic bubbling underneath the surface of that snarky exterior, and he heard the absolute sincerity in the whispered words.

Besides, everyone knew how rarely Donghyuck used honorifics around Mark. He saved the word for only the most serious of moments, and in turn Mark had learned to give the word “hyung” a new meaning when it came to the normally light-hearted boy.

So Mark simply wrapped his arms around his best friend, keeping him safe like he always would, as they slept through the night.

**Author's Note:**

> ahh I’m not really sure how I feel about my characterization of Hyuck in this one. I feel like he could be the type to like affection when he’s feeling down, but I also feel like he would only feel comfortable being vulnerable in front of certain people/want to be pampered by certain people haha eek oh well
> 
> Please let me know what you thought!! And if you want, come shout at me on twitter (i don’t tweet about my fics but i'd love for you to dm me if you came from here :))
> 
> oh and considering everything that's happened recently, I really do hope that these boys can get some rest soon; they're really pushing themselves to the limit :(
> 
> -K


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